Merry Christmas from Tilly

I got my new camera. Just in time for Christmas! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Tilly is at Gramma's and Granpa's

This is the email my mom sent me this morning:


Subject: Tilly is being a good girl!
Jean DeFord (XXXXXX@someinternet.com)


Attached is a visual of what your baby has been doing since daylight.....

Asks to go out.

Runs after animals.

Comes back in.

Merry Christmas From The Hankes

I lost my camera at the end of the summer. I am getting a new one thanks to State Farm. It won't be here until after Christmas. This will have to do as a family portrait. Carl forgot to put on his glasses and Tilly is at my mom and dad's house. That 's why she's not in the picture!

Happy Belated Birthday Evee BoBo!

The guy using his scary eye stare to will the dice to give him a lucky roll is my brother. He turned 24 on Pearl Harbor Day. That is December 7th in case you didn't know.

He came into this world early in the morning and FAST! The story goes that when my parents came into the hospital that very cold morning in San Antonio Texas the delivery ward was full. Evan wasn't stopping his entrance any and the nurses were literally pushing him back in because the doctor wasn't there. To this day he gets a red mark on his head when he's pissed. It's the birth story of a legend. No doubt my brother will be a legend some day.

Some of the best memories I have are of us fighting. Yes, I said they are some of the BEST memories. Our fighting was epic. Daily. Hourly. Minutely. But it mostly ended the same way. We were forced into our respective rooms to a sort of time out but because our parents didn't believe in closing doors we would call each other across the hall. It would go something like this.

Evan: "Mom is mean."

Me: "Go ask her if we can come out of our
rooms"

Evan: "No, You ask her."

Me: "I can't. She will be mad."

Evan: "That's why I can't"

Me: "Do you think she will care if I just go
into your room to play?"

Evan: "You wanna play cars or Legos?"

Me: "Doesn't matter to me as long as I can
be the mom who takes care of the sick ones"

At least that's how I chose to remember it.

Evan was a pretty scrawny kid. He didn't care to learn how to tie shoes, use the potty, or to bathe. He was too busy for that. There was a lot of bike riding, Lego building, fort playing, dirt digging, ball kicking, bug and rock collecting, back rubbing, video game playing in the early years. In Elementary School he announced that he was going to be a Lego builder when he grew up. I am sure that was a defining moment in his life.

In Middle School the girls were falling all over Evan. But like much of his life, he didn't care. He was too busy for that. At the time I of course didn't know why anyone would think my dorky annoying little brother would be cute! Now I know it's because he has a sweet and caring nature that is mixed perfectly with a little smart ass. He was the class clown that teachers loved.

In High School, Evan made sure to be his own person. He wasn't the little brother in his sister's shadow. (He may disagree) He doesn't know the amount of girls that would come and ask me if I was Evan's older sister. After I would reply yes I would be met with squeals and "Oh he's sooo cute". He did band for one year. Just like me. The year where there was a trip. Smart guy. After he quit band he joined the soccer team. He did very well until his knee went out. During High School he dated the best looking girls and treated them nicer than they should have been treated. He was more popular in high school and in college than I would ever be. Again it's that sweet caring nature mixed perfectly with a little smart ass.

In college, Evan came to SFA! Just like me. I was so excited! I didn't want to show it though because I knew that would turn him away. I prayed that he would stay even though SFA was supposed to be only temporary until he got into A&M for Engineering. (Remember he had Legos to build) He stayed. I had the pleasure of once again sharing two years at the same school as my brother when he changed his major to Accounting and decided to stay at SFA. Once again he made a name for himself! He joined a couple of fraternities. Made friends. Even had a few ODD jobs (wink wink). Ask him about his work with the Art Department! We didn't really even see each other as much as I would have liked but it was nice to know that family was around the corner. He did make it a point to come to Wednesday night worship at Wesley. Wesley thought we were weird for taking turns rubbing each others hands during worship. But in true Evan fashion, he didn't care.

Now Evee BoBo is all grown up at 24! He's done with school. Now working with a big ol accounting company and wears a tie most days. Which I find very funny seeing as how he never cared to learn how to tie his shoes and now he has to tie a tie everyday!

He's still my little brother and I love him.

He has a sweet, caring nature mixed perfectly with a little smart ass.

Happy Birthday Evee BoBo!

Bloggy Fun....The Firsts

I secretly love these blogs....

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?

Never had one. I went to my senior prom with a girl named Stephanie in my History Class. We weren't even very good friends.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
Yes. Everyday. I sleep with him too!
3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?
shots of something. I was in high school and my friend's dad was serving up the drinks.
4. What was your FIRST job?
babysitting. It was all I did! That's why I am sleeping with my first love!
5. What was your FIRST car?
Le Baron Convertible. Man that was a fun car!
6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
no texts today
7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
Carl. He wouldn't get up!
8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
Which time? That's right I went to 1st grade twice! Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Goldsmith. They were fun ladies!
9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
The first one I remember is flying to Houston from Dallas. It sucked. My ears don't tolerate short flights.
10. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with them?
To my mother's dread it was Tiffany Erdmann. I have no idea where she is.
11. What was your FIRST sport played?
Is Cake Decorating a sport?
12. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
At Tiffany's I am sure. In fact it was a sleep over that ended our friendship. I was over at her house sleeping over and watching TGIF when she got a call for a better sleepover offer and her mom dropped me back at my house.
13. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
Carl. I am not sure if HE knew I was talking to him.
14. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
My Aunt Lisa's. I passed out the birdseed filled silk flowers. I just remember throwing the empty basket at the get away car. Boy was I in trouble.
15. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Went to the restroom.
16. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
The Edge Christmas Concert (Bush, Blink 182)
17. FIRST tattoo or piercing?
Piercing was 14, ears. Tattoo was 16, butterfly on ankle in Hawaii
18. FIRST foreign country you went to?
Mexico for a mission trip in college.
19. What was your FIRST run in with the law?
There was this one time that my friends and I were pulled over by a goat cop....I should blog that story....
20. When was your FIRST detention?
Senior year in high school for wearing too short of shorts...the VP had a thing against fat girls.
21. What was the FIRST state you lived in?
Texas
22. Who was the FIRST person to break your heart?
Ryan. It was quite a feat seeing as how we weren't dating or anything.
23. Who was your FIRST roommate?
Joey, a vampire fanatic who ate bird seed...i lasted my first year of college with her. Don't go Potluck?!?!?
24. Where did you go on your FIRST limo ride?
To my Papa DeFord's funeral. Bummer. I know.

Consider yourself tagged!

Long Time NO Post....

Wow....

It's been a while. Here is a quick update. Bulleted....because I like bullets.

• I am still on my diet. I cheat a little more but I am generally sticking to it! I've seen a little bit of weight loss and feel TEN MILLION times better. I actually have no problem with giving up bread which was a shock for me! Cheese is a little harder.



• Carl is still in school. May will hopefully be the end of school!



• Tilly is fabulous. She is about to spend the next month with my parents. My mom's dog, Ginger, was put down in October and I think she misses having paws in the house. This is also a gift for Carl.



• I lost my camera. That's why the posts have been few and far between. Pictures are better than words. I miss my camera but not enough to buy another one just yet. Maybe when Carl graduates and gets a job.



• I still love Andrew to death. We had a great Halloween. Andrew was a cow and Tilly was a pig. He was so precious (i stole a picture from Kelly and it's featured below)



• I am so excited about the holiday season!

Love to all!

Day 10

7:45-Wake Up

(oops forgot my medi shot!)

8:30-Irish Oatmeal

12:30-Sushi Wraps (bought from grocery store it's make your own for like $3.00) with Avacado and 1/2 Apple with Almond Butter

can't remember....

Day 9

*****Had the day off because I worked last Saturday*****

9:00-Woke Up
9:30-Medi Shot
12:00-Veggie Refried Beans with Rice and Rotel
2:00-Pistachios
5:30-Rice with Fried Eggplant (yum)
8:00-Medi Shot
9:45-Pistachios

Day 8

7:40-Wake Up (ooops)

8:00-Medi Shot

9:00-Irish Oatmeal, Green Tea

12:00-Eggplant and Rice

2:00-some snack

6:00-walked for 1 hour on treadmill

7:00-Medi Shot

8:00-Fried Ric (cheated only a little; had egg)

Day 7

7:20-Wake Up

7:30-Morning Medi shot (doubled this week)

8:30-ooops forgot to eat breakfast.....

12:00- Turkey sausage (this is a new one for me...not bad!) and spelt pasta with grapes

2:00-Grape break

6:00-Medi Shot with nut and fruit snack

8:00-Eggplant and Rice

10:00-Rice Cake and Almond Butter

12:00-night night

Days 4-6 (Weekend Wrap Up)

Basically I screwed up....

No I did not go crazy and down a bowl of chips and salsa or anything!

If anything I didn't eat enough.

I know shocker.

What it comes down to is that I worked on Saturday (my first offical Saturday to work) without a lunch break (9-2) and it threw my snacking way off! I did eat sushi for dinner so that made up for the break in snacks for sure!

I was SO good on Sunday I deserve a trophy. It was our monthly covered dish. Need I say more. I do. I got in line and picked up my plate and walked slowly behind the guy who gets a spoonful of everything! My mouth was watering with all the brown, orange, yellow starchy goodnesss that was laid out. The whole time I was debating with myself: "Should I just cheat and make sure I was next to a toilet for the rest of the day?" "Was I REALLY feeling all that much better?" "Macaroni and cheese could make me feel good too!" (you skinny people just don't understand) I prevailed. I even walked past THE BEST mac and cheese and the lady only makes it 2 times a year! I made it to the end of the line with my plate empty to find a few carrots and a couple slices of apple. Very Filling. (I went home to make a real lunch) I was so proud and I could go out and do stuff because I wasn't worried I would need a bathroom near by! Ended the week fabulously and without urgency (if you catch my drift).

Day 3

7:15-wake up
7:20-Noni and BSR pill with Mediclear and Rice Milk "shot"
9:30-Rice cakes with almond butter
12:00-"Nachos" rice, vegitarian refried beans, rotel and Pecan "chips"
2:00-Grapes
6:00-Noni and Mediclear and Rice Milk "shot"
7:00-Tuna Steak, green peas and mashed potatos (with mustard, rice milk subbed for milk)
8:00-BSR pill
8:30-Rice cake with almond butter

Almond Wishes and Rice Dreams

I think I am doing pretty well on my DRASTIC diet changes. The list is long my friends. Long indeed. I have had the most trouble with onion, corn and garlic. I went looking in the pantry for something to make my rice and beans a little more palatable and EVERYTHING had one of these in it. Salsa. No. Has garlic and onions. Red Enchilada Sauce. No. Has modified corn starch. Modified corn starch is my nemesis. You would think life would be easy with all the "gluten free" products on the market but they replace the wheat flour with....you guessed it.... CORN!

Don't worry too much though. I am eating quite well even with the restrictions. The best part of my day is the shot glass of rice milk with Mediclear. It sounds gross but it has become the creamiest part of my day. It's actually pretty tasty.....well the vanilla flavor is pretty good. I just bought the original for baking (subbing milk of course). I only have about a week and few days left of no egg. Once I can eat egg I am making pancakes with rice flour.....I am totally pumped! I have also found Pecan chips. They look like tortilla rounds and taste ok. I had "nachos" today for lunch. Which means I had vegetarian refried beans, rotel, rice with Pecan Chips....very exciting....there was just a hint of sarcasm there. Can you tell food is my world?

Sure I have a hang up with food. I know this. My mom likes to think she had nothing to do with it. But she does. She is a Hallmark. That makes me a Hallmark. That makes me have food issues. I love it. I am not afraid to say that I associate food and family and happiness. My Dad's side is NO better. I dare you to call my Nana and ask her what she ate for lunch. She may not remember where she put her cell phone (it was wrapped up with her cookies) but she can list off the 10 or so items that the cafeteria served for lunch at The Colonial Lodge Assisted Living Facility.

The point is I am working on it!

Day 2

7:20-Wake Up

7:25-Drink Medi Clear shake with Rice Milk (which I am beginning to love) and Morinda pill

7:45-normal poop (THAT NEVER HAPPENS)

8:30-Rice Cakes with Almond Butter for Breakfast

12:00-leftovers (portabella mushroom and rice)

2:00-Black Spanish Radish Root pills

3:00- hand full of almonds

5:30- Carrots, Craisians and a few grapes for snack

7:40-Mediclear and Rice Milk and Noni pill

8:00- Vegetarian refried beans and rice

yum! Day 2 in the bag!

Day 1.

7: 15- Wake Up
7:20-Medi Clear Shake (of sorts) with Rice Milk; a few grapes
8:30-5 or so Almonds and Water
10:30-5 or so Almonds and Water
12:00-Morinda Supreme (pill)
12:20-2 Rice Cakes with Almond Butter; Carrots; grapes
2:00-grapes
3:00-Spanish Black Radish
3:30-Craisins
6:40-Morinda Supreme
7:00-Portobella Mushrooms grilled with Rice and some sort of veggie
8:00-Mediclear shake with Rice Milk (yum!) & Spanish Black Radish

I told the Witch Doctor...

*****Don't read beyond this point if abnormal bodily functions bother you*****

I generally pride myself on being healthy. I am an obese (refrain from the "You're not fat" comments....according to BMI I am obese) healthy person. I never miss work. I've only gone a half day for being sick! I have MAYBE one cold a season. I am pretty healthy.

Except for one thing. I have pooping problems. I know, I know too much right? Well to be specific I have horrible cramping diarrhea! Gross. I know. The grossest part is that I have been having this problem for YEARS! It's progressively worsened over the years from occasionally to I forgot what a normal BM is like. So this weekend for a late birthday present my mom took me to the doctor. Not just any doctor mind you. A Chiropractor/Kinesiologist.

It was interesting. Basically the way it works is that your body is made up of energy. Remember learning that in High School Science??? Well all matter is made up of energy. Some energy works better with other energies. This Dr. Lady finds out which energy is best and subsequently which energy is worst for your body. What it comes down to is that for the next month I will be eliminating certain foods (bad energy) from my diet while I get my tummy issues under control. This is NOT forever. It's just FOR NOW. I am really excited because I already feel better since going to see Dr. Lady. I am going to try and blog everyday what I ate as a form of accountability for myself!

Here is the list of foods I can't eat:

Beef

Chicken

Pork

Shrimp

Cheese

Cow Milk

Eggs (for 2 weeks only)

Buckwheat

Corn (including high fructose corn syrup)

Wheat

Peanuts

Soy

Celery

Garlic

Onion

Banana

Grapefruit

Peach

Chocolate

What do you think?

The Paparazzi

Not Much Going On....YET!

Carl and I have been laying low!

We haven't been doing much because the next few weekends are gonna get CRAZY!

I did get my toes done!

Of course here is my weekly Drew picture. I love him so much! My brother thinks that I am going to go crazy, steal him from Kelly and Ryan and be a future Lifetime Movie. He is super adorable but believe me, I am always OK with giving him back!

UPCOMING POSTS:

• Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews and Memphis TN
• Hallmark Family Reunion
  

I

i am: ready for a change
i think: I should go back to school
i know: I am smarter than I once thought
i want: to have a job I love
i have: an awesome husband and cute dog!
i wish: I was 120 lbs less
i hate: lies
i miss: college
i fear: lonesomeness
i feel: like I should have gone to bed earlier
i hear: the phone ringing
i smell: like coconut lime verbena
i crave: chocolate.
i search: to know my God more
i wonder: when I will feel like we are going to be ready for kids!
i regret: not being confidant sooner.
i love: all my families!
i ache: in my ear
i care: for Carl and Tilly
i always: feel hungry
i am not: your typical blonde
i believe: in a God who loves
i dance: like no one is watching
i sing: for God and Andrew :)
i don't always: act like an adult (good and bad)
i fight: when I feel like my values are being destroyed
i write: for therapy
i win: very little
i lose: my mind from time to time
i never: choose cake over pie
i confuse: my husband!
i listen: to Dave Matthew's the most!
i can usually be found: at work or home (boring)
i am scared: that I will never be happy at work
i need: daily affirmation
i am happy about: my husband's future graduation!

Remix

WHAT HAVE THE HANKES BEEN UP TO?!?!?!

Let me break off a little REMIX!

*We had a visit from a Chinese Boy Scout! His American name was Gary. It's the "COOL" American name he picked for his English classes in school! That made me laugh. Carl and Regan gave him a "Cooler" name. B. P. or B***h Puncher. Sounds horrible right?!?! It's funny when an asian says it though! We went out and showed him how we Americans party. At Bullfrogs. Drank beer and played pool. Fun times.

*The next weekend my cousins Tyler and Rachel came for the weekend for some cousin fun! We showed them a good time. Drank beer and played pool. JUST KIDDING! We drank Coke and played Wii! The highlight was playing with dry ice. Kelly gave us some to take home and play with. It entertained all of us for a few hours and Carl made his SPECIAL milkshakes for the event!

* Carl and I went to my parent's house for the 4th and to celebrate my birthday. We had a good time hanging out with my parents, brothers and soon to be sister-in-laws. Tilly was cute as always!

*Finally this is a picture of my beautiful Peppermint Hibiscus. I am so proud that I have kept something alive long enough for it to bloom! It reminds me of Mr. Peppermint. Does anyone remember that children's show? I think it was only for the lucky kids in Dallas! Mr. Peppermint ROCKED!

P.S. A picture of Andrew for good measure!

I Can't Get Enough....

of THIS face!!!!!

blogs to post in the near future:

• Hong Kong Gary--Intern Boy Scout from Hong Kong!
• Carl and I are taking my cousins for the weekend. That should make for a good post!
• Finally pictures of the house.....before and after!

Here Are Some Pictures to Prove It!

It's been over a year and I FINALLY have my wedding album! It wasn't my photographers fault! I couldn't make up my mind. I like that I didn't get my album for a year because it was so much more fun to look at the pictures and really appreciate the whole thing! A big thanks to my photographer! Check him out!

Free and Almost Free Entertainment in Austin

Here is the ultimate list of Free or Near Free things to do in Austin.

They are in NO particular order!

Carl and I didn't have a ton of money to spend we are poor newlyweds (someone told me you are newlyweds for 2 years! Someone else told me your a newlywed for as long as you feel....gag me!) I digress. There were PLENTY of activities to do while in Austin that were inexpensive. We even had more left over! You might want to print this off when you go to Austin!

1. Look for Leslie

This was for me NOT Carl. Leslie is infamous in Austin. He/She is a homeless tranny that hangs out on 6th street. I mean HANGS out. He/She usually isn't wearing much more than a leopard print thong and a halter top to cover his/her hormone induced boobies. Leslie has run for Mayor several times. Homelessness is his/her platform. Interesting huh?!?! Leslie usually hangs out on 6th and Congress during the day. We were lucky enough to see him on Friday night! We were walking down 6th street we heard a "HEY" and sure enough it was Leslie! It's like he/she knew we were looking for him/her. Don't worry I didn't touch him/ her but I did buy the magnetic "Leslie Paper doll Collection" for my fridge!

2. Barton Springs

I vaguely remember going to Barton Springs as a kid. I don't know if we swam or not? Well we were HOT from walking around so we went to Barton Springs! It was $3 per person to get in. On the outside it looks like a HUGE public pool but when you look closer in the water you see that it's a natural spring complete with algae rocks. I was the first brave one to go in. It was a COOL 68 degrees! It made my feet feel awesome (they were throbbing from all the walking). We decided to go in at one of the walk in points. I ended up crawling to my final destination because the idea of slipping on the rocks was not one I wanted to experience. It was cold. I loved it. Sierra (our friend and personal tour guide) and Carl had goose pimples and shivered the whole time! BABIES! The best part was watching people try not to fall on the rocks while adjusting to the extreme cold! What can I say....I am evil. We didn't stay as long as I would have liked but the sun was going down. I will say that this activity is free if you go in after 7 PM but who would want to! I would think it's only for the Polar Bear Club members at that point!

3. 6th Street

While I see the appeal I think I am too old to really enjoy 6th street. I equate it to a brighter and cleaner walk on Bourbon Street in New Orleans (pre Katrina....haven't been back to see post....) They block off the street from vehicles at about 9 PM on the weekend. The only way to get from one side of the street to the other (other than good ol walking) is to take "Petty Cabs". Petty Cabs are men and women on bikes dragging a 3 person seat that take you to any club or bar for a donation. We chose to walk. It's good for the heart and to keep drunkenness in check! We did see the Pecan St. Cafe which my mom said was the ONLY thing on 6th Street when she was in school at UT. We went in to Babaloo, a cigar shoppe, and each picked out something to enjoy. The "I LoveLucy" reference was just too much for me to resist! We went to The Forbidden Fruit and met a future writer for "The Advocate". We watched the girls dance on the bar in Coyote Ugly. That was fun! We even stopped by and looked in at at The Dizzy Rooster that was made famous by "The Real World: Austin". We went to another bar....but I can't remember! We even had enough energy to walk back to the hotel! It was a long walk but we did save like 5 bucks by not getting a cab!

4. South Congress (So Co)

Ok. Now this is more MY style. It's more artsy. More hippie. More unusual. South Congress has a huge event every month called "First Thursday". The title is when the event takes place (duh!) and its a time that all the stores stay open later, the street is shut down, and more vendors are added in the street. It's a place for starving artists to sell their works. I wish we were there for First Thursday but alas we weren't. There was plenty to look at without being at First Thursday. First stop was "Hey Cupcake!" It's a charming vintage metal travel trailer. Much like the trailer in that movie that Lucy and Desi did together about traveling in the trailer...the name of the movie escapes me.... We had just had a fabulously greasy meal at Dirty Martins so we passed on eating a Michael Jackson Cupcake (you know...a chocolate cupcake with white cream cheese frosting!). It was tempting! Carl taught Sierra and I a ton! One of the places were full of Folk Art and Folk Craft. Carl just took a Folklore class at SFA and taught us that Folk Art is to look at and Folk Craft is to use! Learn somethin new everyday! I enjoyed looking at all the art, interesting antiques and amusing gifts. I was so tempted to bring back bacon flavored tooth picks to Ryan. There were plenty of paintings I wanted to take home. There were even antique medical paraphernalia that I wanted. I passed on all of it and just dreamed of the day that Carl and I will have enough money for original art (notice I said WILL). Day turned into night and the atmosphere was much more quiet than 6th street but still hoppin. We returned to eat at Homeslice on So Co and you could hear the live music flowing all down the street. The people were more casual and relaxed. Still much more my style. This street is what sealed the deal on my desire to move to Austin!

5. Geo Caching

Ok. If you know what this is then you know that you can do this ANYWHERE! This has been Carl and my new hobby for 2008. A couple friend of ours showed us the joys of Geo caching at the new year. If you don't know what it is then I suggest you click on the link and look at the "Getting Started" bar. It will become your addiction. In short it's basically a treasure hunt using GPS. It's an underground cultural phenomenon that's sweeping the world! Quite literally. There are caches on all 7 continents. My favorite type of cache is the urban cache because the marvel of a treasure in the presence of hundreds of people and they don't even know! Austin had several! We found the 4 we looked for. We started our hunt at midnight on Saturday so that it would be more covert. What a blast! I recommend Geo Caching even if you don't go to Austin. Just check it out!

6. Congress Bridge Bats

What an AWESOME sight. I think this was the highlight for Carl. We were there about 45 minutes before the bats began their flight. The general rule is that they come out at sunset but nature has a mind of their own and we didn't want to miss it! We had front row spots on the Congress street bridge right where Ladybird Lake met the land below. Sierra (our personal tour guide) said that was the premo spot and right she was! You could hear the bats talking to each other determining the best time to all leave and shortly after the sun hit the horizon the show started. The bats that live under the bridge are Mexican Free-tailed bats and belong to the largest urban bat colony in the US! Isn't Texas cool? The bat is even our State Flying mammal! They started to trickle out one at a time. If you blinked you missed the first few "scout bats". Then they started to come out in droves. It was truly amazing how fast they were flying as a group making a swoosh towards the lake and then up over the trees, catching bugs the whole way. I would totally recommend seeing this sight. Unfortunately it's not a guaranteed sight!

I am pretty sure we did more but that's all I could think about right now!

Look below for the randomly awesome pictures!

This is a picture of The Bat Sculpture by the Congress Bridge (there is a cache very near!)

You can smell the bat poop when you cross the bridge! This is the view from our room!

Sierra hooked us up!

This is the guitar and knee of Stevie Ray Vaughn!

Andrew Update!

I can't believe he's already 7 weeks old! Just to review. He is not my baby. My friends Kelly and Ryan claim him. I love him so much though! He is a blast and he doesn't really do anything. These are my favorite pictures as of late!

Eat Your Way Through Austin

It's no secret that eating is one of my FAVORITE pastimes! Austin is in my opinion one of the best places to eat. The city focuses on fresh and organic. We ate out all weekend but left like we hadn't. Every thing was so fresh and yummy.

If you will fasten your seat belts we will now take the food tour!

Friday Night Dinner: Chuys Mexican Restaurant

Wow! I have never had Tex-Mex like this before. The chips were light and crisp and went so well with the just made salsa. I ordered "The Vegetarian" (Finally a city that truly caters to all eating habits) It came with a Veggie Enchilada that had squash, potatoes, corn, spinach, serrano, onions all in a blue corn tortilla with red sauce and cheese. I also had a cheese chili relleno (my favorite). All that with rice and vegetarian refried beans. It was all good. I topped my freshly made meal with a light margarita. I had "The Dot" margarita which is margarita with a dot of strawberry margarita on top. Ingenious! It was not heavy and perfect for a hot evening.

What the others had: The Classic Tex-Mex Enchiladas and Big as Yo' Face Chicken Burrito

Saturday Lunch: Dirty Martin's

We were looking for a cheap place to eat for lunch. You know burger and fries. I actually found this place online weeks before we went. It has been featured on the documentary "Hamburger America". This was definitely a dive. It was full of students or fathers and sons. Not a place you would take your mom. Too greasy! With that being said they still have a Veggie Patty burger! You better believe I got that! It reminded me of the veggie patties I would get at the school cafeteria...in a good way...a nostalgic way. We each ordered a different side and taste tested. The tater tots, fries and onion rings were soooo yummy! We all topped it off with a to go shake like mom would make! Very cheap. Still yummy. Not overly greasy. The gut held up well for an afternoon in the hot hot sun!

What the others had:

O.T. SPECIAL - large bacon cheeseburger with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato

D.H. SPECIAL - Hamburger patty with grilled onions between two pieces of cheese on toast with tomato and pickle

Saturday First Dinner: Torchy's Tacos

Ok. So we had two dinners! We didn't eat lunch and we knew we would be eating a LATE dinner because of the events we had planned (you will have to check out the next post for events) We were in our swimming gear when we walked up to this deliciously smelling trailer. The keyword here again was FRESH! You wouldn't think that at a trailer right?!?! I ate 2 tacos because I couldn't decide! I had the fried avocado taco which had carrots, vegetarian refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce and poblano ranch! I also had the "Taco of the Month" Magic Mushroom. It was wonderfully magical with portabella mushrooms, carrots, lettuce and chipotle sauce! To die for! I wanted more but I resisted! I would eat there right now if I could. Fresh cheap food doesn't get any better! We spent less than at a drive thru and ate more and ate better!

What the others had:

Beef Fajita Taco:Marinated and grilled skirt steak with grilled onions and peppers and topped off with shredded cheese and pico de gallo on your choice of tortilla and salsa

Trailer Park: Fried chicken, green chili’s, lettuce, pico, and Cheese served on a flour tortilla with poblano ranch.Get it trashy! Take off the lettuce and add queso!

Saturday Second Dinner: Homeslice Pizza

We didn't eat until 10:30 PM but it was well worth the wait! This was surreal to me because you don't even have the option of eating past 8:30 PM in Nacogdoches. Yet there was an hour wait at 9PM!!! Now I will tell you I am not a fan of pizza. I like food so I will eat it but given a choice I would always choose Mexican over pizza. Or at least pasta over pizza. You could say I am a pizza snob! I like "different" flavors other than your typical pepperoni or cheese. Homeslice and I were a fit when I saw the menu. We enjoyed sitting out on the back porch while Sierra and Carl had a pitcher of Fireman's #4 and I went all out and had diet Dr. Pepper (really that is going all out). We shared some hot garlic knots to help our hunger stay in check while we waited. We ordered a medium classic “white” pie with ricotta, olive oil and spinach. It came on it's own stand and had gobs of spinach and ricotta. Very yummy. I had about a slice more than I should have! We even had 2 slices left over. Of course Carl didn't eat it! He is your average pizza eater and got a couple of slices of pepperoni. This was a perfect choice for a late meal because I wasn't miserable and unable to go to bed. Freshness points here!

Sunday Brunchy Lunch: Kerby Lane Cafe

This is an Austin Institution. Now I know I have beat down the word "fresh" but seriously. This place has it's own farm! Not lying! They have tons of vegetarian and vegan options. We could have eaten here all weekend! I went with having eggs Benedict Florentine in mind because more people should have that on their menu! When we opened up the menu I had to have something that NO ONE else would have on their menu. I went for the "Paris Texas Platter" It was an awesome combo of french toast and migas (vegetarian migas no less!). My taste buds were doing a happy dance! Spicy and sweet what a combo! I just watched everyone else in the restaurant and what they ordered. They even have Vegan pancakes! Made with tofu! I don't know about all that but at least they have it for anyone who wants it! The coolest part was that they have artist original paintings for sale and the artists change frequently!

What the others ate:

Carl had Carl's Breakfast: English muffin with all natural Canadian bacon, a fried egg and cheese. Served with home fries and fruit.

Pancake stack of the day: Raspberry

Austin: 1 Year of Love

Carl and I booked it to Austin on Friday. I was trying to surprise him for our 1st anniversary! This is the first day I have taken off in the year 2008! I needed it bad!

You may be asking, "Why Austin?"

Here is the list:

1. We don't have much money to spend so Paris was out.

2. I am trying to convience my husband to move here so why not show him what a wonderful time we could have in this AWESOME city!

3. Our friend, Sierra, works at the Hyatt in Austin so she gave us the HOOK UP!!!

The next few blogs will be devoted to our trip. It was fast, fun and full! I love Austin and I want you to love it too! I hope after reading my review of Austin you will fall in love with it too!

Gimme a FIVE

A friend Angela tagged me in her blog!

She said she secretly read my blog....I secretly read hers too!

The Rules

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.

3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.

4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING 5 YEARS AGO:

1. I was bummed that I guy I had a crush on was leaving town for 6 weeks! (it was Carl and he went to scout camp!)

2. Moved out of Kerr and into my FIRST apartment!

3. I was getting ready to bring home the coolest puppy in the world, TILLY!!!

4. I was living with Cullen Shelton. Everyone thought the temptation would be too great for us to live together without having sex....HAH!

5. That summer was full of LIFE....the board game!

FIVE THINGS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST TODAY?

1. cook a healthy meal for my hubby

2. laundry....gag me (my Nini used to say that a ton)

3. Have people over for Cookie Night

4. did I mention that laundry was on my list? By that I mean it's a pile behind my couch

5. Pay bills....dang being a grown up!

FIVE SNACKS YOU ENJOY?:

1. Apples and Cheese

2. Baked Brie and grapes

3. Peanut Butter

4. Ice Cream

5. Avacado

FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE:

1. Go on Vacation.

2. Buy a dream house.

3. Give money to Perritte and Wesley.

4. Buy a vacation home.

5. Save it.

FIVE OF YOU BAD HABITS:

1. I am a clutterbug.

2. I burp and fart.

3. I whine.

4. I am not good at writing Thank You notes!

5. I let the dog lick my plates.

FIVE PLACES WHERE YOU'VE LIVED:

1. San Antonio, TX (born there)

2. Lewisville, TX (one home from 3 yrs until 18)

3. Nacogdoches, TX (dorms: Steen and Kerr)

4. Nacogdoches, TX (renting: Willow Oak Apts. and Swann Dr)

5. Nacogdoches, TX (buy: Willow Oak St with Carl!)

FIVE JOBS YOU'VE HAD:

1. Sears: sold doors, windows and siding!

2. Fitness Works for Women: daycare worker for a gym

3. Extended School Day: childcare worker for after school program

4. Wesley: Wednesday Night Cook

5. State Farm: I am not sure what I do. I just do it! (now)

TAG YOU'RE IT!:

Baby Drew!

Andrew and I had a photo shoot a few weeks ago. We gave the top picture to Mommy for Mother's day! He's such an awesome kid! I can't get enough of him!

Over it!
This is my favorite face!
Isn't he teeny tiny!

A Year Ago Today...

I was finishing my last day of work as Kalena DeFord.

I can't believe a year has gone by since Carl and I were married! It has been an amazing year! A busy and amazing year.

Carl is finishing up school and I am still working at Jamie Rodrigues State Farm. We have had many gatherings at our house throughout the year. I just finished painting and pulling down the last of the tape a month ago! Carl and I are so thankful for all the gifts we received at our wedding. They really helped to finish the house off! I suck at Thank you cards and I didn't reach my goal of sending all of them off! I am so sorry! I really tried!

I am MUCH better at hosting. This year (as in 2008) I have hosted the following at our home:
New Year's Eve Party
Boy's WEEKEND!
Britney's 21st B-Day
Kelly's Baby Shower
Ben's 21st last minute partay
Evan's Graduation Party
Sunday Funday (our SS class party complete with Pirate Theme)
Valentine's Party (can you tell these aren't in order)
Easter with both parents
Carl's Birthday Gathering
Washer Party
oh and don't forget the weekly "Cookie Night" event (7 years strong baby!)

Needless to say I have used and cherished almost every special dish we received at our wedding. The only thing I was unable to breakout was our cool Christmas dishes. Someday. Someday.

Wow a ton has happened! And that's just in the last 5 months! I can't wait to see what the years ahead have in store for Carl and me!

Don't worry...Whatever happens we'll have a party!

Tag, You're it!

What was I doing ten years ago:
I was finishing my freshman year at Marcus High School. I was getting ready to say good bye to all my senior friends. I was debating at wether or not to tell my crush about my feelings ( I didn't, Thank the Lord!)

Five things on my to do list today:
1. Buy supplies for my kids to make Mother's Day craft.
2. Buy a CD for meditation. (It's an exercise we do at Children's Choir)
3. Make it appear that I am working diligently
4. Get paperwork off of my desk
5. Clean my house enough for someone to clean it! (just this once)


Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Put money away for future. Give money to Perritte and Wesley. Build a house and a vacation house. Pay off all our debt. Buy me a new car!!!

Three of my bad habits:
1. Asking too many questions ( I call it learning)
2. Being Blunt
3. Farting and Burping in public (gross I know)

Five places I have lived:
1. San Antonio TX
2. Lewisville, TX
3. Steen Hall, Nacogdoches TX
4. Swann St Nacogdoches TX
5. Willow Oak St. Nacogdoches TX

Five jobs I have had:
1. Childcare, Fitness Works for Women
2. After School Program
3. Cook for Wesley
4. Sales for Sears Siding
5. State Farm Customer Rep

a love like this

I had the oppertunity to watch Andrew for an hour last night! His mom, dad, Honey (grandma) and Deanie (great-grandma) went out for dinner. Kelly warned me that he might give me trouble because he had a rough night! Of course he was PERFECT! I am so in love! I fed him a bottle and then we just sat and stared at each other! I told him how lucky he was to have such an awesome family! We talked about all the people Andrew hasn't even met and that they already love him too! He certiantly won't be lacking in the love department and I will make sure of it!

Andrew will be 2 weeks old this Sunday! I can't believe how awesome he is already!

This was after a nice big bottle.

He was on a bit of a milk high!

What can you expect from a kid born on 4/20!!!

He is precious from the top of his head down to his monkey toes!

Carl was a bit worried that I would want a baby. I do! Just not right NOW!

I am totally content with being a mom to Tilly!

Andrew Blakeley Kahlden